- September



I can’t dance
Never have been able to.
Some of that is my dyspraxia 
Mostly I have a limited sense of rhythm 
And a huge dollop of self consciousness 

The last time I danced was with a patient at her request
She asked me about my bucket list and I mentioned dancing
She shared it was one of her wishes to dance again
As it turned out she had less than a week to live

So she asked me to dance, a funny silly little dance
Me in my navy uniform, she in pyjamas and fluffy slippers 
And we danced in her room after pushing a set of drawers against the door so no one else could see.


28 comments:

  1. I'm the opposite. I can't sing worth shit, but I love to dance and have a good sense of rhythm. One of the main reasons I loved going to bars when I was young, was dancing.
    I'm so glad you and your patient got to have one last dance.

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  2. A lovely memory for you and a special dance for her. I can't/won't dance, either. Imagine the hippopotamus ballet from Fantasia, but with a lot less gracefullness! xx

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  3. Barbara Anne3:07 pm

    I remember when that dear patient and you danced together. What a gift to her your willingness to dance was.
    Hope you can 'happy dance' when you're overjoyed. There is only exuberant movement, and no actual dance steps. :-)

    Hugs!

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  4. Ooh.. I think I spotted myself in that video, dancing in my black bikini!

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  5. Love, love this story. Made me smile. You both gave and received.

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  6. Did you say to her, "May I have the pleasure of the last dance?" and was there music to dance to?

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  7. What a special moment that must have been ... for both of you. xx

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  8. Fun video and wonderful story!

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  9. Even though I am not good at it I love to dance. It's such a happy feeling. I love dancing in film too and that was a lovely compilation. A sweet moment for you and the patient to dance.

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  10. Anonymous4:42 pm

    That's so touching, I had a lovely picture in my mind x Kath

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  11. One last dance made a happy event for the patient. You are very kind JG.
    I do not consider myself a great dancer. Just okay. My British sister-in-law took lessons, and she is amazing on the dance floor. She actually suggested I take a lesson or two.

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  12. Damselfly5:11 pm

    Such a heartwarming memory. ❤️

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  13. What a lovely thing to do.

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  14. You are still doing a lot of New Years looking back and reminiscing! Re: previous post, rather sad that you did not bond with the kittens esp Weaver. And Albert? How about a backstory of his arrival, I don't recall you ever saying where he came from or why you took him in. PS except for professional dancers pretty much NO ONE is a good dancer, and that is okay. It's the self deprecating part that makes you not enjoy it, I think.

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  15. I have always admired people who can unselfconsciously give themselves over to the music and just dance. It sounds stupid, doesn't it? But I watch these people and know that I will never be them, and it makes me a little sad.

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  16. "You Gotta Dance Boss!" (Zorba - but only in the movie not in the book) "Dance as if no one was watching" I can't dance well, but I love to move.

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  17. Anonymous6:42 pm

    Dance like no one's watching is my mantra

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  18. I LOVED that video, thank you! Now I want to watch all those movies.
    I love dancing -- it's among my greatest pleasures -- and I don't care if I'm any good at it. So much fun!

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  19. Great video! I've never been a very good dancer either, but I do enjoy it. (It helps to have a beer first.)

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  20. Anonymous7:13 pm

    I can’t dance even though I was forced to take lessons as a teen. My late husband had 5 sisters who made sure he danced. After our first dance he realized that I was a lost cause and hated every minute of it. I just stood still and he never made me do it again . Nice that you could give that woman her last wish.

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  21. You gave her the gift she needed most at the time,and it no doubt was gratifying for you as well, nicely done as usual
    hugs -Mary

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  22. P.S. About yesterday's
    post and Weaver's aggression,I had been given a cat that would climb on to my table and pee on my keys,I took her to the vet and had her
    tested for a urinary tract infection,she had one and was just looking for a way to make the burning sensation go away, just a thought,Mary

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  23. I don't dance, like you..but that was the best thing to do x

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  24. Good for you and that patient for closing the door and dancing! I loved to dance when I was young. My sister used to give me crash lessons before every social event. We had a ball. But she seemed to always teach me the moves of back-up dancers. I was a great Pip. I hit my late teens and grew self-conscious, but still followed my sister’s orders. Then she died and I couldn’t get myself to dance again for a number of years. Now, I would need to get drunk or high and let loose.

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  25. To me, dancing is an expression of joy where we connect with music - so there can be no right or wrong. If your dance had been in a movie, and they had filmed everything as you wrote it - but left the door open - there would not be a dry eye in the audience. X

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  26. I love to dance and can't keep my feet still if a song comes on with a good beat!

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  27. What a lovely thing to have done. I've been shown how to waltz a number of times. It never stuck.

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  28. Me too John. I'm a hopeless dancer. I embarrass myself!

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